Seven WAIS Rowers Named on Australian Team for World Cup

Seven WAIS athletes have earned selection for the Australian rowing team for next month’s World Cup event in Sydney.

London Olympians Alex Hagan and Hannah Vermeersch will reprise their role in the women’s eight, after last year’s fairytale ascent into the eleventh hour squad, which was nicknamed the motley crew.

Hagan has also been selected in the women’s coxless pair, where she will join Victoria’s Charlotte Sutherland.

The men’s eight squad will contain two WAIS scholarship holders, with David Watts and Matt Cochran named in the heavyweight boat.

WA’s strong tradition with the men’s lightweight four boat will continue, with Tim Widdicombe and Tom Meares both earning nomination, whilst Maia Simmonds rounds out the seven, with selection in the women’s lightweight double scull.

Australian selectors named nineteen crews to represent Australia in the fourteen Olympic Boat classes at the opening round of the 2013 Samsung World Rowing Cup, which will be held at Sydney International Rowing Centre (SIRC) in Penrith from 22-24 March 2013.

The event will be the first time that a World Rowing Cup has come to the Southern Hemisphere, and will be conducted as part of the inaugural Sydney International Rowing Regatta (18-24 March 2013).

Seventeen London 2012 Olympians have been selected in the team, making it a promising mix of youth and experience. The majority of the team will be competing in their first Senior World Rowing Cup with the selectors adopting a long-term view that will develop talent for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

Rowing Australia’s Head Coach – Integration Drew Ginn said the national selectors were taking a long term approach with this team.

“We have picked lots of new faces and are giving new athletes the opportunity to perform at International level. From what we have seen at trials there are some exciting combinations. It is really early in the season and the reality is that most countries, including us, are thinking long-term. We have taken the opportunity to put multiple crews on the water in some events. In that regard this is a developing team and a team for the future. Let’s get ourselves ready for the four years ahead and beyond.”

A promising women’s eight was selected to race at the opening round of the Samsung World Rowing Cup after posting some of the team’s best prognostic times at trials.

London 2012 Olympians; Tess Gerrand (NSW), Alexandra Hagan, Hannah Vermeersch (both WA), Renee Chatterton (SA) and coxswain Lizzy Patrick (VIC) are returning to the crew. They will be joined by 2012 Under 23 World Rowing Championship Silver medallist Katrina Bateman (VIC) and Lucy Stephan (VIC) as well as new comers Charlotte Sutherland (VIC) and Genevieve Horton (NSW). At the age of eighteen Genevieve Horton, who was a reserve for the Junior Team last year, will be the youngest member of the Australian team.

Four athletes will also double up in the women’s pair at the World Rowing Cup with Tess Gerrand and Katrina Bateman, who won the women’s pair event at the NSW Rowing Championships, as well as Alexandra Hagan and Charlotte Sutherland, selected to compete in both events.

Double Olympic medallist Kim Crow (VIC) will start her international racing for the new Olympiad in the women’s single scull. Joining her in the women’s sculling team are 2012 Under 23 World Champions in the women’s quad scull Maddie Edmunds, Jessica Hall (both QLD) and Olympia Aldersey (SA), who were named in the women’s quad scull together with former Under 23 national team member Sarah Perkins (VIC). The double scull will be raced by Victorians Jennifer Cleary and Rebekah Hooper.

Two Australian crews will be racing in the women’s lightweight double scull with Ella Flecker (TAS), who is returning to international competition after racing the lightweight women’s quad scull in 2011 and Georgia Miansarow (NSW) competing alongside last year’s Senior A non-olympic national team members Maia Simmonds (WA) and Alice McNamara (VIC).

Two crews will also represent Australia in the lightweight men’s double scull with Edward de Carvalho (NSW) and James Wilson (VIC) selected in boat #1 and Victorians and AIS scholarship holders Sean Lake and Redmond Matthews selected in boat #2.

In the men’s lightweight four event Tasmanian and London 2012 Olympic reserves and 2011 World Champions in the lightweight men’s eight Alister Foot and Blair Tunevitsch will combine with their 2011 crew mate Darryn Purcell and 2012 non-olympic national team member Nick Silcox, both Queensland. Last year’s Under 23 national team members from Western Australia Tim Widdicombe and Tom Meares will be racing in the lightweight men’s four crew #2 together with Queensland new comers Harrison Westbrook and Hamish Parry.

Representing Australia in their first Senior A team will be AIS scholarship holders and last year’s Under 23 World Rowing Championship Bronze medallists in the quad scull Sasha Belonogoff and Ryan Edwards (both NSW) who have been selected in the men’s double scull. Kieran Kobelke (NSW) will be racing the men’s single scull.

Chris Morgan (NSW), 2012 Olympic Bronze medallist in the quad scull, will combine with Olympic men’s eight rowers Tom Swann and Nick Purnell, who have returned to sculling, and former Under 23 national team member Shane Jackson (VIC) to contest the men’s quad scull at the World Rowing Cup.

Fellow 2012 London Olympic Bronze medallist James McRae has returned to sweep rowing and will combine with 2012 Olympic Men’s Eight rower Bryn Coudraye in the men’s pair. The crew, both South Australians, convinced selectors with excellent performances at the NSW Rowing Championships, where they won both the men’s pair and the men’s four.

Last year’s Under 23 World Rowing Bronze medallists in the men’s eight and AIS scholarship holders Angus Moore (ACT), Alexander Hill (SA), Alexander Lloyd (NSW) and Spencer Turrin (NSW) secured selection in their first Senior A team in the men’s four event by delivering promising prognostic times at both the NSW State Championships and selection trials.

A mix of last year’s Under 23 team members and new talent has been selected in the men’s eight squad of ten athletes which will be narrowed down following a training camp. Coxed by David Webster (VIC), the squad features George Ellis (VIC), Harrison Casey (VIC), Jordan Hooper (VIC), Scott Laidler (QLD), Christopher Cunnigham-Reid (NSW), Jack Hargreaves (NSW), Matt Cochran (WA), David Watts (WA), Tom Sacre (NSW), Nick Wheatley (NSW).

Olympic silver medallists James Chapman (NSW), Will Lockwood (VIC), Joshua Dunkley-Smith (VIC) and Olympic eight rower Josh Booth (VIC) were all unable to compete at the selection trials due to medical reasons. Based on performance in the lead up to trials, this crew has been nominated to race the World Rowing Cup in the men’s four subject to medical clearance and satisfaction of the selectors requirements. Their availability and capacity to compete in the upcoming Sydney International Rowing Regatta will be assessed over the coming weeks.

Three additional crews were selected to race the lightweight single scull events, which are part of the International World Rowing program in Sydney, but not part of the World Rowing Cup. Tasmanian Georgia Nesbitt and New South Wales Sculler Sarah Pound will compete in the women’s event and Tasmanian Michael Egan in the men’s event.

With World Rowing Cup entries closing on 11 March 2013, national team selectors may still add additional crews into the categories if there are any stand-out performances before that date.

Rowing Australia’s National High Performance Director Chris O’Brien said there were a number of impressive performances at the trials. “We have seen some great racing over the last couple of days and I am sure we will see lots more of this at the Sydney International Rowing Regatta. Everyone is very excited and motivated to race the first World Rowing Cup on home waters, in front of a home crowd and I am sure this will push everyone even further.”

Athletes will now focus their attention on the final preparations and will train together on a camps-based basis before they arrive in Penrith on 16 March 2013.

Most crews will also race at the Australian Open Championships as well as representing their States in the King’s and Queen’s Cup Interstate Regatta ahead of racing for Australia at the World Rowing Cup.

– Rowing Australia